Mechanisms of the biological recognition of membrane surfaces by components of the immune system will be investigated. The model system will be based on monoclonal antibodies directed against a fluorescent hapten, fluorescein, that is tethered to the surfaces of large phospholipid vesicles. The kinetic and equilibrium properties of the interactions between antibodies and haptenated surfaces will be determined spectroscopically. The antibody-mediated binding of these vesicles to immunocompetent cells bearing Fc-receptors will be investigated as a model of cell-cell interactions in the immune system. Particular attention will be paid to the roles of hapten lateral mobility, hapten surface density, and hydrodynamic shear forces. Recognition of cell membranes, mediated by specific complementary ligand-receptor interactions, is a fundamental process in immune function and pathology, as it is in many other fields of biology.